bottom paint waterline

R

ripple

New member
I am planning on keeping my boat in the water for extended periods this season so I plan on applying an epoxy barrier coat and then antifouling coat. I would like to get the paint on before I first launch, but I am unsure of where to mask for the waterline.

I just looked at a picture of my boat at anchor, and it looks like the boat sits such that the line where the dark factory gel coat on the bottom meets the upper hull is not parallel to the waterline. The stern is actually somewhat submerged, putting part of this line underwater.

Does anyone know if this is normal , i.e. does the gel coat line not necessarily line up with the designed waterline? Is my boat possibly just loaded stern heavy? I guess my question is, how should I determine the optimum place to mask the waterline? Should I wait until I launch the boat and load it as in normally will be when docked, and then mark the waterline and paint a bit higher than that mark?

Thanks in advance for any help...

-Dougal
 
I think the best way to determine a water line is to splash the boat. Add a few people/fuel to simulate your regular loading. Take some bits of tape to mark the hull just above the water.
 
I just had my bottom painted a few weeks ago. I had left the boat in the water for a couple of weeks beforehand, so after the boat was hauled there was a nice little green line on the boat to deal with that.

Note that the line went into the colored gelcoat towards the bow, so what they did was follow the real water line from the stern forward to where it met the color, and then followed the color to the bow.
 
Yes- It is normal for the stern to be underwater a bit past the bottom color in the rear. My idea is that the hull was designed for a two stroke 70 Johnson. Not taking in account the introduction of the heavy four strokes.

The new 23 C-Dory was designed taking into account the weight of a big four stroke. So with that said I don't believe anything is wrong with your 22 hull. Mine does the same thing. .......I'm OK with it. Boat still performs great.

As for painting out side the lines? I say RUN WITH SCISSORS
!!! Make it work.

Good Luck
Chris Bulovsky
 
If you are planning on leaving it in the water, I would start there. Load it like you are going out for your longest trip, fill the tanks, (fuel & water) and then add some big bags of dog food (or what ever, to simulate the people weight in their normal positions) and then let it sit in the water (hopefully still and quite), for a few days and you'll have a very accurate line. Then I would probably paint up from that a bit, (1-3"). Good luck with the painting and enjoy the boat.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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